


Brokenhearted

by FreeArchive



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Dubious Morality, F/F, Fade to Black, Implied Sexual Content, Mainly Canon Compliant, No Humanity (Vampire Diaries), Prison Worlds (Vampire Diaries), Temporary Character Death, Wenjade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23523379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeArchive/pseuds/FreeArchive
Summary: Wendy never meant to kill those kids but accidents happen. And accidents can cost her everything.Ten years, locked with only a shifting werewolf, a psychopath and the vampire that had stolen her heart, had hurt her. Maybe it had broken her.But she would pretend, act like nothing was wrong while the world shattered around her.{Wenjade}{Wendy x Jade}
Relationships: Jade/Wendy (Legacies)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So finally, here is my Wendy x Jade fic ☺️☺️☺️ I've yet to come up with a ship name (wenjade? jendy? idk) but seeing as I'm like the sole shipper, I'll decide on one eventually. For now, please do enjoy! 
> 
> **A little disclaimer** , I have zero experience with prison worlds and humanity-less vampires so forgive me if some actions do work in canon. Also magic too. But hey, hope you enjoy!

Wendy folded her arms and kept her mask of cold up. She was very good at it. Kept emotions in check, just a little smile like everything was alright. 

It wasn’t. 

Outside the classroom, Alaric and Emma spoke quietly to each other out of ears’ reach. Deciding their punishment. Alaric had come to the conclusion that it had to have been them that killed the town’s children. And from where they stood, they had to do something. 

Wendy hadn't meant to kill those kids but it was too late now. Accidents happened. But that would never change the outcome. 

She could still see the pain, the horror on their faces. She could still hear their screams as she burned them to death. And then she’d burnt the bodies to hide their crimes. 

Wendy glanced at the others, hoping for reassurance. The world was cruel, pushing her through its trials with no support. But she'd made friends, good one's who she cared about. Now she only had two people on her side. 

But neither of them were here for her. 

“Jade-” she tried first but it was futile. 

Jade was different now, acting cold and uncaring. It wasn’t the Jade she knew. 

And Diego wasn't much help. He still wore the effects of the full moon, growling to himself. 

Which meant she was completely alone. 

She couldn't let them know what happened. She couldn't get kicked from the school. Because where else would she go? She had nowhere but the Salvadore School. She would never survive alone. 

If they found out, they were certain to be kicked out. 

So Wendy pretended everything was normal. That it was just a normal day with normal consequences. She had plenty of experience hiding her emotions. 

When she was nervous, she liked to play with fire. And when she played with fire, things tended to burn. It got her into a lot of trouble when she was younger. 

Wendy stared at the glittering flame in her palm. She'd fallen in love with fire. She loved the way it burned, the way it flickered, the way it glowed. But now, she stared at it with new eyes. 

Fire was beautiful but it was also destructive. It could kill. She could kill. 

"Put that away," Diego growled. 

Wendy turned to him but her angry retort died at the sight of his glowing eyes. The full moon didn't affect every wolf as badly as him. But he was one of the worst cases. Each second was pure agony, as he'd said. 

Wendy closed her hand. 

"Okay." 

Jade scoffed but when she looked at her, she was staring off into the distance. Pretending she didn’t care. Or maybe she actually didn’t. 

And finally the door opened. Alaric and Emma emerged. Wendy couldn’t read their expressions as they stood in front of them. 

Alaric folded his arms. "You have one last chance to tell me what happened." 

But nothing happened. She didn't kill anyone. Wendy gave him a faint smile but said nothing. 

"Nothing," Jade said calmly. "We didn't do anything." 

He didn’t believe the, he’d already made up his mind. If he hadn’t, he’d have believed them the first time. At least he seemed upset about it. Alaric shook his head. "You leave me no choice." 

"Alaric-" Emma hesitated. "Are you sure about this?" 

Emma was kind. Wendy often went to her for therapy, and she was one of the few things that helped. She wanted to believe the best in people. 

Wendy stood up and faced them. "You can't punish us for something we didn't do." 

"Except you did." 

She hated how cold his voice was. Liked he'd decided everything already. But it was better he wasn’t so easily fooled. He had to protect his students and the townspeople—not that that helped. 

But it wasn't like he was wrong. They had killed them. It had been an accident. But they had killed them. Five people were dead because of the three of them. And she could never take it back. 

"Yes, I am certain," Alaric said. "Do it." 

Wendy couldn't describe the pain that flashed across Emma's face. But she didn't step back. 

"I'm sorry." 

Emma held a small golden object with intricate twisting parts. It looked like a pretty ornament but it was clear it wasn’t. 

"What-" 

She didn’t get another word out before something grabbed hold of her. Wendy gasped. And the world went black.

* * *

She didn’t stay under for long. Like waking from a slumber, Wendy opened her eyes to a blurry world. Her head ached. Slowly, she regained her focus. She lay on the ground, staring up at a ceiling. A familiar ceiling. 

"Ugh," she groaned, sitting up. “Where are we?” 

“The school.” 

Jade sat beside her, eyes scanning the room with suspicion. She too had only woken up. Diego lay next to her, still unconscious. 

"What's going on?" 

There was no sign of Alaric or Emma. Or anyone else. In fact, the whole school was eerily quiet. It shouldn’t have been. It was midday meaning there should be students everywhere. 

But they were alone, which could only mean that something was wrong. 

Wendy slowly stood up, surprised at the ache in her head. It surely came from magic. What had Emma done to them? It hadn't been any spell she'd remembered. What had that strange ornament been? 

Diego groaned, voice coming out as a low growl. "Wait 'til I get my hands on them." Rage simmered off him like heat. “How dare they treat us like that?” 

Jade rose gracefully to her feet, not seeming put out by what was happening. . 

"Let's go look." 

And then just like that, she was gone. Vampire-speed carried her away like the wind. . 

"Diego?" 

Something had changed in him after that night. It wasn't obvious but Wendy had known him long enough to recognise a new darkness in his eyes. But where it wasn't the same hollow shadow as Jade's, it was hot and raging. 

Diego snorted and rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous." He stood up too and stretched. 

His nostrils flared. Then his eyebrows furrowed. "Weird.." 

"What?" 

"There's no one here. And there hasn't been for a while," he said. “No scents.” 

"He's right." 

Jade casually lounged behind them, appearing as quiet as a whisper. "No one's here. Not in the school. It’s completely empty." 

Wendy fought back the rising panic. 

"But that makes no sense!" Diego snapped. "Where did they all go?" 

"They? Isn't it obvious? They didn't go anywhere," Wendy snapped back. " _We_ went somewhere." 

But where? How could they have moved them to what seemed like a parallel dimension? Emma had sent them somewhere but that feat of magic was too much for just one witch. So… that ornament… she frowned. Obviously a lot more powerful than met the eye. 

Wendy jumped at Diego storming across the room to her. His hands were clenched. 

"Diego?" 

"No, shut up!" Diego snarled. "Don't talk to me like you're better than me!" 

"What? No, I-" 

But he wasn't listening. 

His eyes took on a yellow hue and suddenly his teeth seemed a lot longer. He was a big guy but now, he just seemed massive. 

"Diego…" 

A while ago she’d had a crush on him but every feeling was torn away by the beast in front of her. He didn't look at her like his friend. But as if she was a piece of meat. 

"Diego, please-!" 

Diego's body rippled and crackled as the change started to take him. And he _screamed_. 

The shift had always hurt. 

But he'd never let it consume it. 

Except for that night. 

Diego hunched over, his spine popping as his form started to change. Fur started to form and his clothes torn. What was he doing? His gaze focused on her with sharp intent. A lust for blood. 

Wendy lit her hands defensively but she knew if it came to it she could never hurt him. He was her friend, no matter what she felt. Or what happened. They only had each other. 

"Shut…" he rasped, words choked by a growl. "Your… mouth." 

Diego lunged. 

Unable to fight back, Wendy threw up her arms and wished him done with it. It wasn’t how she wanted to go out but maybe it was better a friend than an enemy. That way, she knew she’d die with peace in her heart. And be able to move on. 

But he never connected. 

Faster than the mortal eye could see, Jade sprang in front of her. One hand pressed back against her chest, forcing her away protectively. The other closed around a partially shifted-Diego's throat. 

And snapped. 

Wendy hit the ground, eyes widening. Speechless. 

Diego did the same except he didn't stir. His body crumpled. Motionless. 

Jade glanced down at her handy work and shrugged. Heartless. 

“Jade,” Wendy gasped. “How could-?” 

Suddenly Jade was crouched in front of her, eyes darkening as her true face appeared. Darken veins coupled with bloodstrucken eyes, and she smiled. “How could I? Are you stupid? He was going to kill you.” 

Anything she might have thought to say had died in her throat and Wendy just stared at her. Tears welled behind her eyes and blinked to keep them away. 

Jade rolled her eyes and the veins faded until she looked like nothing had happened. But something had. She was different. They all were. 

“He was a liability anyway.” 

“He was your friend!” 

Jade bared her teeth. “I don’t have friends. Not anymore.” 

How much had they been through together? Her, Wendy and Diego, a trio. She couldn’t see anything of the woman she loved. It was replaced by a horrible cold. 

Jade stood up and sighed. “Anyway. We need to figure out what’s going on. And where exactly we are. Are you coming?” 

Wendy looked at Diego’s body and then back at Jade’s stained hands. No matter what happened, she only had two people on her side. And now just one. She nodded. 

Wendy got to her feet and followed Jade as they started to search the school. Jade thankfully didn’t run ahead but searched at normal human speed. Maybe she did still care. Or perhaps was the new monster scared of being alone too? 

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Wendy breathed as they returned once again to the main hall. The entire school was empty. It looked identical to their school but it wasn’t. No one had been here in years. 

“You’re a witch. Shouldn’t you know this?” Jade paced over to the fireplace. 

“I don’t.” 

Wendy wasn’t exactly the hardest worker when it came to education. She studied like everyone else at the school but didn’t remember every covering parallel dimensions. She didn’t even think they were on the course. 

Jade rolled her eyes. “Great.” 

What were they going to do now? 

Perhaps there were more people outside of the school. In Mystic Falls and beyond. But even as she thought it, Wendy knew it was futile. They were completely alone. If there was no one here, then there was no one else where. 

Wendy wondered how she could survive. There was food here. And supplies. And the town and the farms nearby. She’d be able to keep living. 

But eventually Jade would get thirsty. 

Wendy looked up to see Jade staring right at her. 

It seemed they’d reached the same conclusion. 

“Jade-” 

Jade sighed. “At least you’re safe. I can’t kill you now.” She ran her tongue along her teeth, just the gentle tips of her fangs. “So stop worrying.” 

Because that was _so_ reassuring. 

Jade gave her a fake smile. “Anyway, I’m going to take a trip into town. See how things are. Don’t wait up for me.” 

Not that she could or would stop her. Jade had made it very clear that now she did what she wanted. Wendy watched her go helplessly. 

Wendy sank into a couch and curled her legs close to her body. It was messed up. Was this their punishment? Sent to another world to die alone and afraid? She couldn’t bring herself to move Diego’s body so he just bled out into the floor. Not that that mattered. Nothing mattered anymore. 

She closed her eyes. Maybe if she closed her eyes, she’d wake up in her room. Maybe the past few days would just be a horrible nightmare and everything would go back to normal. She could hope. She could dream. She could pretend. 

Wendy sighed. It was useless. 

Something moved in the room, startling her from her thoughts. Wendy opened her eyes to see Diego sitting up, looking very confused. His shirt was ragged and bloodstained but he was much alive. But that was impossible. 

"Diego?" she whispered. 

Diego's eyes narrowed. "I… What happened?" He pressed a hand to his head. "Did Jade…?" 

Jade killed him. Wendy had seen it herself. She’d snapped his neck and torn out his throat for good measure. There was no chance that Diego hadn't been killed. 

He looked at her, eyes widening. "Wendy, I… I didn't mean… I'm sorry…" For a second, he was Diego again. The one she'd thought she'd fallen for. Of course, she’d been quite wrong about that. It wasn’t him she’d fallen for but the other member of their trio. 

But then the next his face was wracked with pain. It appeared the full moon was still in effect. He crumpled to the ground and groaned. 

Wendy made to go to him but he stopped her. 

"No! Stay away!" Diego crumpled back to the ground. "I… I might snap again…" 

Wendy froze in place, not knowing what to do. Everything was just happening so fast, she couldn’t keep up. Her mind was spiralling. 

"I thought I killed him," Jade commented, out of nowhere. 

"So did I." 

But it appeared she hadn't. Unless there was something else going on. Wendy frowned. What happened struck a memory in her, something that had only been mentioned in passing. A world where you could not die. 

"We need to go to the library." 

" _You_ need to go. I don't need to do anything." 

Wendy rolled her eyes. "Right." 

Leaving them to their own devices she left. 

At least the library was the same as before. Wendy didn't quite exactly remember what she was looking for so it took a few tries before she found a word that clicked. _Prison_. 

And there it was, perfectly explaining their situation. The prison world. Created by a witch to contain a prisoner. Here, the same day would be repeated and the prisoner couldn't die. Making their time eternal. A cruel punishment only fit for those they couldn't contain. 

Wendy traced the pages, trying to gather her thoughts. This meant that Emma and Alaric had sent them to a prison world. And now they had no way out. 

She was stuck here forever. With no company except the other prisoners. 

Wendy sucked in breath and tried to steady her racing heart. Sometimes she wished she had the vampiric ability to control her emotions. To shut everything out completely. Never feel pain like this again. But she couldn't. So she just sat and felt. 

Wendy picked up the book and took it with her. Back to the main room. 

Diego had moved from the middle of the floor to the window, staring up at the sky as if he could burn the moon away. Strange how something so connected to him could cause him so much pain. His werewolf self was as much a curse as it was a gift. 

"We're in a prison world,"she announced. "Meaning that we'll repeat the same day over and over. Forever." 

"What?" 

"We can't die. Not permanently anyway. We’ll just come back." 

Jade's gaze flickered over to Diego and a smirk touched her lips. "How he came back?" 

Wendy nodded. 

She didn't like the sudden focus that entered her eyes. Jade turned on Diego like he was prey. Vampires lived for the hunt, the struggle that came. And Jade, it turned out, was no different. 

"Jade-" 

Nothing she said could stop her. Jade tore into Diego before he had the chance to register what was happening. Wendy watched in horror. 

Diego wasn't a pushover but compared to a vampire with pure intent to kill? He was a goner. 

Jade wrenched out his heart with one swift tug and tossed it to the ground. Hands soaked in blood, she stood over his rapidly dying form. And smiled. She howled with laughter, clapping her hands together. 

“Now _that_ is fun.” 

Once again, Wendy stared as Diego died at her hands while she did nothing. For she couldn’t bring herself to turn on Jade. And even then, what would be the point? None of them would die. Diego would come back, no harm done. So was it even that bad? 

Jade turned to her, lilting smile turning savage. Wendy worried she was next. But Jade shook her head. 

"Don't worry, my dear." Jade lifted her chin, eyes bright. "Death sours the blood." 

Wendy wanted to cry. She also wanted to scream. Her heart hurt. But pain was a useless emotion. She didn’t want to feel it. 

Wendy gripped her wrist and forced her hand off her. "Touch me again and I'll burn you alive." 

Jade smirked. "I don't disbelieve it." 

They'd locked them up because they believed they were murderers. Believed that they were monsters. 

They were right about the first part. So perhaps they were right about the second. 

The prison world was a place where nothing had consequence. So how far could they go? How far could she push? Wendy's hand glowed red. If they repeated the same day over and over, nothing mattered. 

Jade watched her, mildly amused. 

Her heart hurt, so viciously. So she would burn it until it didn’t. 

Wendy screamed and unleashed fire into the world. All around her caught light and soon she saw nothing but amber glow and the haze of smoke. Jade whooped somewhere in the background but Wendy hardly heard her. 

The smoke entered her lungs and threatened to choke her to death. She could have run. But it didn’t matter. She welcomed the pain. Because it distracted her from her heart. 

Wendy fell to the ground, coughing. Her vision blurred, she couldn’t breathe. But she didn’t care. It didn’t matter. And fire was so beautiful but so dangerous. 

And she would watch the world burn over and over again. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm back again :) quarantine is going fun 🙃🙃🙃 so fun. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, please do comment and give kudos, it fuels me~

It was like the world reset itself. The school sat as if it hadn't just been burned down mere hours ago. Wendy could admire. The prison world was quite clearly the work of a powerful witch. If she wasn’t trapped forever, she could imagine all the possibilities. 

Diego walked up behind her, chest heaving. 

It seemed that if they lived the same day over and over again, he'd be forever tormented by the full moon. Forced to change. 

Wendy wondered if there was something she could do to help him. Surely there were spells that would ease his pain. She’d have to look into it. 

"So this is just our life now," he growled. 

"It would seem so," she replied coolly. 

But even as they went about their days, she felt as though there was something she was missing. A part of the prison world that could change everything. Again, she’d heard about it only in passing but something made her have to research. 

Wendy set up a nook in the library. 

There weren't many books on the prison worlds, seeing as their creation hadn't been too long ago. But she found a few; some with mere references and others recounting what happened. Her research yielded few results. 

It was frustrating to say the least. 

Wendy sighed. 

There were infinite possibilities in this world but also so much she didn't know. Who knew what might prove to be dangerous? Wendy placed the journal on the table and turned to the next one. 

Wendy felt something like a whisper in the back of her neck. She turned and jumped, despite herself. 

Jade stood behind her, arms folded. 

"Don't do that!" 

Jade didn't care. Of course she didn't. 

She'd closed her humanity. 

Wendy wondered if there was anything she could do to turn it back on. She didn’t know much about vampires and how their emotions worked but there had to be something in the library, right? She could really do with a friend right now. 

"I'm thirsty," Jade said dryly. 

"Alaric always kept blood in the kitchens." 

"I don't want that blood," Jade said coolly. “It’s… mediocre.” 

She meant her. Wendy had known that it would eventually come to this, that Jade would seek out tastier blood than the rabbits in the kitchen. But she didn’t want to. 

"What? No. You're a ripper. You'll-" 

But it didn't matter that she'd die. She'd come back, as fine as ever. But even so- 

Wendy shook her head. "Not a chance. 

Jade smirked and took a step forward. “Oh, come on,” she breathed, eyes heavy. “Please. Just a sip. A small taste.” 

Wendy hated how those darkened eyes did bad things to her. Jade wasn’t looking at her how she wanted her to but it was close. She could pretend that it wasn’t just about blood. That it was about something more. 

“I can’t drink from Diego but I can drink from you.” A hand closed around her wrist, not too tight but enough to feel the tiny thrum of her heartbeat against her. Quickening. 

Jade growled. 

Wendy made to turn away but then a sharp tug on her wrist spun her back. 

Jade was like ice but her body molded around hers like water. Wendy could only gasp as teeth sank into her neck. Jade held her like she was precious as she drank. 

“Come on!” 

Jade pulled back to look her in the eye. For a second, she looked like her Jade, worried and afraid of what was happening. And then the darkness was back and she bit her again. 

Wendy could have set her on fire. Fire would burn her quickly. 

But some part of her just sighed. 

She was tired. 

When Wendy next opened her eyes, she was lying on the ground of the library with sunlight streaming through the window. It warmed her skin. Everything was fine. Wasn’t like she’d just died. 

Jade was still in the library, lazily draped across an armchair. She seemed content, well fed. 

“You know, that was _so_ unnecessary,” Wendy said as she sat up. 

Jade shrugged. “You could have stopped me.” 

“Whatever, don’t make a habit of it.” Wendy stood up, surprised at how well she felt. It appeared there were no repercussions to dying. Strange though, her death to be at Jade’s hands. Sure, there were probably more to come but the first was special. In a twisted way. 

Jade was staring at her coldly. 

“What?” 

Jade didn’t seem amused. “Stop acting like you’re better than me.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“I can feel you judging me because of what I’m like now. But tell me, who burnt the school down? Oh, and who burnt those kids? The fact is, we both killed people. You’re no better than I am.” Jade laughed. “I’m just dealing with it better than you.” 

Hot anger surged through her. “I-” 

“Look at you, _reading_. As if you ever read a book before in your life,” Jade snarked. “And for what? To pretend you can get us out of here? You can’t! We’re stuck here! _Forever_. So you better get used to it.” 

“How dare you?” Wendy snapped. “I am trying my best! What are you doing?” 

“What I like.” 

This wasn’t Jade, it wasn’t the real her. But it wore her face and it smelt just like her. Wendy was ready to yell. 

A piercing howl split through their argument. 

“Diego?” 

Jade’s smirk turned to contempt. “Go. Run to your little puppy. He’s in pain.” 

“I hate this side of you,” Wendy breathed. 

Jade blinked. “I don’t care.” 

But she stepped aside and Wendy ran out of the library, glad to put distance between them. She didn’t follow. And Wendy didn’t want her to. 

She was right though. 

Wendy was only pretending, hoping that maybe she could fix things. But that fact was even if she knew how, she would never be powerful enough to escape the prison world. She only had her fire. And that wasn’t enough. 

It was only to keep her mind from falling apart. Wouldn’t they miss them back at school? Or would Alaric lie and pretend they’d left when in reality he sent them to eternal torment? She wouldn’t let herself cry. So maybe she should take a page out of Jade’s book and harden her heart. 

She’d always thought she was a good person. 

It had been an accident. 

But that changed when she burned the rest of the bodies. 

She was as much at fault as the others. 

Diego was crouched in the kitchens, body rippling as he fought off the change. The table was overturned, a leg broken. As if a beast had torn it off. 

“Diego!” 

Diego looked up at her through tears. “It hurts… it hurts so much.” He screamed again. “Wendy… I can’t…” 

“I…” What could she do? Her mind ran through everything she knew but she drew a blank. She hated watching him suffer. 

“I need to be locked up,” he breathed. “One of the cells… or maybe here… I can’t…” 

“What good will that do?” Wendy said. “It will come back tomorrow. The same. You won’t hurt anyone, just… let go. Embrace it.” 

Even if he came for her or Jade, they could fight him off. And if they died, they’d just come back. He had an entire world to let loose in. He was no danger. 

Diego shook his head. “Wendy, please. I can’t… I…” His head rolled back, chest straining. 

Was it fear that held him back? 

“Diego.” She touched his arm but he recoiled as if burnt. “Okay.” 

Wendy stood up and went to the windows. Murmuring a basic sealing spell, she secured them shut. And then the doors. She didn’t want to lock him up but it seemed she didn’t have a choice. Maybe one day he’d be ready to let the change control him. Maybe go run out in the forest. 

“Just consider it,” she asked as she stood by the last door. “You can go outside, let the change fully take you. Jade and I will stay inside. You won’t have to worry.” 

Perhaps he was too far gone to hear her. Because he didn’t reply but hunched in the corner. She could see fur and clothes beginning to tear. 

Wendy stepped outside and sealed that door too. 

She heard what sounded like a table breaking and then the slam of a body against a wall. 

Wendy turned around and walked away. She didn’t want to be around while he was in pain. 

“Locked him up? Daring, hmm?” Jade stood in the corridor, smirking at her. 

But Wendy really wasn’t in the mood. “What do you want?” 

“Aw, are you mad at me?” Jade slid into pace next to her. “Don’t worry. You can’t stay mad forever. And I have forever to wait.” 

“ _What do you want?”_

For her to apologise for their argument? No, she didn’t care anymore about what she thought. 

“I read that book of yours,” Jade said, tossing it in the air. “Learned something interesting. Might be what you’re looking for.” 

“What?” 

“You heard me.” Jade arched an eyebrow. “But you can’t expect me to give away this info for free?” She chuckled. “No. I’m not hungry right now… but I will be. Later.”

“I’m not your personal blood bag.” 

“Okay, sure but, I do need blood. So… donate to the needy?”

“You’re crazy.” 

“Would you prefer I drain you dry again? I’m being generous here.” Perhaps this was her twistedt way of offering a truce. 

Wendy sighed. She really wasn’t in the mindset for arguing. “Okay, fine. Now tell me what you learned.”

To her complete surprise, Jade hadn’t been lying. She flicked to a page and pointed. “Alaric and Emma didn’t make the prison world for us. It isn’t ours. It’s someone else’s.” 

“You mean there’s someone else here?” 

This changed the game. If someone else was here, that meant they weren’t alone. What that would do for them, Wendy wasn’t sure. But it was better than nothing. 

Jade snapped the book closed and smirked. “See? Not useless.” 

“How do we find them?” 

Jade shrugged. “That, my dear, is on _you_. Good day.” 

To be quite honest, Wendy had no idea what Jade got up to when she wasn’t around her. Clearly, she wasn’t hanging out with Diego. But she vanished regularly and never spoke about t. 

Wendy looked at the book. It wasn’t so much a book as a journal, meaning that the thoughts were unclear and messy. She wondered why they even had it in the library. She sat down and scanned through it. She didn’t know which prison world this was so this might not even be about theirs. 

But each was around Mystic Falls, meaning that whoever else was here probably wasn't far away. In fact, they were probably in town. 

Wendy frowned. Hadn't Jade gone into town? She hoped whoever it was hadn't wandered far. Then again, they had the whole world to themselves. Who wouldn't want to leave? 

Them. 

Regardless of everything, Wendy knew she couldn't leave Diego behind. He wouldn't be able to cope with travelling large distances with the full moon everyday. And then Jade would stay because she wanted her blood. 

Wendy closed the book and sighed. How she hated this. Everything about this. 

Wendy went outside and breathed in the cool fresh air. She really needed to learn to control herself. Her emotions would get the better of her. They might have once cost her her life but that wasn’t a problem anymore. Now she just wanted to protect her heart. 

But even so, she had one person who was dark and twisted, but still there. 

"Jade!" she yelled. "Jade!"

No answer. Of course not. 

She didn't even know where to look. She could be anywhere. Wendy had known Jade well before she turned her humanity off. However, with the drastic change in personality, she felt as though she was a new person entirely. 

Wendy went back inside and then realised that Diego was occupying the kitchen. Distantly, he was raging. 

She didn’t know anywhere else in the school to get food. Just a quick drive into town to find some. She knew of a restaurant nearby. That would be a good spot to go. Wendy went to garage to find a car. She wasn’t the best driver. 

The drive wasn’t long. It was quite peaceful actually. Without having to listen to Diego’s pain or Jade’s snarky comments, she could just be alone. And dream of a world where things were better. 

Suddenly, something hit the windshield. 

Wendy shrieked. She slammed the brakes hard, barely managing to keep herself from driving into the ditch. Whatever she’d hit rolled across the road. Wendy gasped. 

Jade stood up, licking blood from her split lip. She didn’t seem remotely put off that she’d just jumped in front of Wendy’s car. She flashed her a grin. 

“JADE!” 

"Oh, I got you good!" she laughed, sliding into the passenger seat. “You should have seen the look on your face! You have to admit, that was pretty funny.” 

"Why do you do this to me?" Wendy groaned. 

Jade shrugged. "Fun." She kicked her legs up onto the dashboard. "Where are you going?" 

"Into town. I'm hungry. Also-" she turned to her, "-you didn't see anyone else in town?" 

"If I did, I probably might have mentioned it." 

"Well, they might be here. Will you help me look?" 

"What? You scared?" 

Wendy didn't answer. Because she’d realised that if they’d been sent to a prison world, the prisoner must have done something terrible. There was no telling what danger they might be walking into. But then again, no dying. Everything was safe when you couldn’t die permanently. 

Jade shrugged. "Not like I've anything better to do." 

How long before boredom set in? Infinite time seemed like a blessing but not when there weren't other people. Sure, they could learn new things or tricks but without anyone to show it to? She wondered how long it would take before they turned on each other. For the sensation of being alive if anything. 

Wendy focused back on the road. The trip was made in silence. 

And she hated that. 

A part of her liked Jade a little more than she should, had been jealous of the human girl who’d turned her head. She'd tried to focus on Diego but that hadn't worked. 

She wondered if Jade knew. 

They'd flirted before but was it just as friends? Nothing more? 

When they got to the town, Wendy didn't know where to start. Mystic Falls might be small compared to most towns but it was still large enough for someone to be hiding. She got out of the car and stood, frowning. 

"What's the plan?" Jade asked. 

Wendy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll burn the town to the ground. That ought to make them come out." 

Jade whistled through her teeth. "Now _that_ I'd like to see." 

Wendy arched an eyebrow. “Well, then, I’ll put on a show.” She turned to the nearest building. She'd burned down the Salvatore School. This shouldn't be a problem. 

But after the fourth building she burned down, she started to feel the strain. 

"Maybe… this wasn't a good idea," she said. 

Jade rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous." She stood behind her and gripped her shoulder. "You can do it. Let it burn." 

Wendy burned down another building. But when she turned to the next, it fizzled out into smoke. Her limbs felt weary. Her magic was spent. Her huge fit at the school appeared to have been fueled by rage. 

"Wow, that was… great," Jade said sarcastically. 

"I'd like to see you do that.” 

Jade rolled her eyes. "Hmph." 

Wendy sighed. It was a stupid idea to begin with. To even think she was powerful enough to burn down a town? She could never. And it also didn’t help their search for the other prisoner. She folded her arms. They were back to square on. 

"You know what we could use?" Jade grinned. "A drink." 

"You literally just killed-" Wendy trailed off when she saw Jade heading to a bar. 

"What? You thought I wanted another taste?" Jade grinned. “Not today. Now, are you coming?” 

Wendy followed her. Honestly, she could do with some alcohol in her system. Just enough to forget. But when she walked in, Jade had frozen in the middle of the room. 

"Um… I think we found our friend," Jade said. 

Wendy stepped over to see what she was looking at. 

A man, bound in a chair by chains, clearly a vampire by his state. He’d been desiccated. Wendy stepped past Jade to get a closer look. He didn’t look especially dangerous but the most dangerous rarely did. Well, at least they’d found him. 

"Let's free him," Jade said. 

"What if he's dangerous?" 

"Aren't we all?" Jade snorted and went over. 

Wendy couldn't argue with that. Besides, wasn't that why she'd gone looking for him in the first place? Regardless of the danger, to see another person. Just someone else. 

"I think we'll need some of your blood for this," Jade commented. 

Wendy gave her a look. 

"Well, I can't feed him mine, can I?" 

Wendy sighed. That was true. "Okay. Just make it quick." 

She knew that her ripper tendencies would probably kill her. Or Jade would do it just for ‘fun’. Overall, she didn’t care. Jade gripped her wrist and tore through it. 

Wendy sank into darkness again and sighed. She'd have to get used to this.

* * *

When Wendy woke up, she immediately sought out Jade. "Did you really have to kill me?" 

"Hm. Probably not." 

Jade sat on a chair in front of her, next to the other prisoner. He was awake and looking very refreshed, her blood staining his lips a dark red. She’d never thought about how weird that would be to her. 

"Who are you?" 

Jade grinned, placing a hand on his arm. "This, Wendy, is Kai Parker." 

"Ever so pleased," Kai said. "I presume it was your blood that freed me?" He licked the tip of his finger. "Ah, _delicious_. With a tinge of magic." 

Wendy fought the urge to lean back as he leaned forward. He had the darkness in his eyes like Jade but his was different. Focused but also more carefree. Dangerous. 

"A witch but not a Bennett," he sighed. "How disappointing." 

"I'm sorry, what?" 

"No need to apologise." 

"I wasn't-" 

Kai wasn’t listening and just kept talking. "It's been awhile since my lips have tasted anything. Thank you…?" 

“Wendy.” 

“Whatever. I’m just glad to be out of these chains. You have no idea how stiff I am. Like a board.” He stretched as if to emphasis his point. 

Jade seemed quite amused by Kai, though Wendy was less so. She didn’t like the way he talked or leered at them. There was no reading him, he was pure chaos. No wonder Jade liked him. 

With no debate, it seemed they were bringing him back to the school. Wendy drove. While Jade sat in the back, talking to Kai. Not much of what he said made much sense. He explained that he wasn't actually a vampire but a vampire-witch hybrid. Wendy had never met one before. 

Once back in the school, she didn't know what to do. 

But in the background, they could hear Diego going mad in the kitchen. 

"Seems like you have a little wolf problem," Kai commented. 

"That's our friend, Diego." 

Kai shrugged. He also didn’t care. Maybe he and Jade were meant to be. 

So Wendy left them to their own devices. 

The next few days were strange. She checked on Diego regularly, offering him food and an effort for comfort. He was much the same, wracked by pain from shifting. He was glad to see her though, a friendly face amidst the horror. 

She couldn't say the same about Jade. 

Jade, who had previously seemed bored, was endlessly amused by Kai. Maybe she liked having another vampire around. They were alike in some ways. Wendy often caught them fighting. Sometimes seriously where one would kill the other, but others where they seemed to be messing. 

"So what's he like?" Diego asked one day when she came to visit him. "This Kai guy." 

Wendy shrugged. "He's… strange." 

Kai, despite seeming to have his humanity, was darker than Jade. Shadows glittered in his smile. He was friendly and chatty but it was weird. Wendy did not like it. 

Diego chuckled. "Suits this place, huh?" 

It had come to be their home. The same as the Salvatore School but also so different. Wendy had even taken up occupying her old room. It just seemed wrong not to. 

"Is it any easier?" Wendy asked. 

The pain that flashed across his face was answer enough. She wondered how long it would take and if it would ever be easier on him. Would he be forever tormented by pain? Or would one day the shift just… take. 

“I’ll be back later,” she said. “Just… try eating something. Relax a bit.” 

She wondered if he felt guilty, if that was why he refused to let the change happen so easily. While they had all played their parts in the murder, he’d snapped first. If he hadn’t pushed, maybe they wouldn’t be here. 

Diego gave her a weak smile. 

Wendy stepped out of the kitchen and sealed the door once again. 

Now what? It wasn’t like she had a plan. Kai had pretty much confirmed that they couldn’t get out by themselves. It either required intense magical power or specific requirements that they didn’t have. They’d need external help. 

She wondered if maybe Alaric would come check on them. He wouldn’t be so cruel to leave them here forever… would he? 

She heard a noise that echoed through the school that was halfway between a screech and a groan. She frowned. 

“Jade?” she called cautiously. 

No reply. Not that she expected one. Wendy walked down the hallway. 

Then she heard them. From the thumps and the faint moaning, it became quickly clear what was happening. But even so, she kept walking, swallowing the rising shout. And emerged out into the main halls. 

She saw Jade first. She had her back to her, bare skin highlighted by flames in the fireplace. 

She straddled Kai who was also in a similar state of undress. 

Wendy wanted to bleach her eyes of the sight but she also couldn’t look away. She didn’t want it to be real. But it so real right there. 

“Oh, hey, Wanda,” Kai grunted. “Want to join in?” 

Jade twisted to look at her, lips peeled back into a grin. 

Wendy turned straight around and left, hating the shiver that rolled through her. She should have known. Jade had taken a too close interest in the strange man the first time she’d seen him. Of course, she’d like the danger, the thrill. But did they have to do it in the main hall? 

Wendy retreated to her room and shut the door. Her heart hammered in her chest. 

She hated this. 

Why did she feel betrayed? 

Did a small part of her hope that being forced into this situation might make her pay more attention to her? 

It was a foolish part. 

How many times had Jade killed her now? And she wanted her love? 

Could she even love like she was now? 

Heat simmered on her hands, her only comfort in this so lonely world. She never imagined she missed seeing the werewolves stupid faces, or listening to the vampires complain. Her witch friends… she hoped they missed her. The fire flickered in front of her. 

But Wendy didn’t burn anything. 

She could have in a rage, turned the school to ash all around them. Show them she wouldn’t tolerate them fucking in the main hall. 

But her anger wasn’t the same this time. 

So she closed her eyes and let the flames in her hand burn out into smoke. Did she fall asleep? She must have. Because the next thing she knew she was opening her eyes to a voice. 

“Hey.” 

Who knew how long after, Jade stood in her doorway. She was dressed sloppily in a loose shirt and shorts, smiling at her. Acting like everything was okay. 

“Sorry you had to see that.” 

“No, you aren’t.” 

Jade tilted her head. “You’re right. I’m not sorry about anything.” 

“Why are you here?” 

“The same reason you kept walking despite hearing Kai and I in the hall.” Jade slipped inside and closed the door behind her. “I want to know the truth.” 

Wendy wasn’t in the mood to tolerate her games. She just wanted to wallow in her self pity. “Leave me alone.” 

Jade didn’t. 

She walked across the room, each step slow and intentional until she stood right in front of her. She didn’t touch her. Yet her gaze lingered down her body as if she wanted to. 

Wendy looked up. And said nothing. 

“Are you jealous, dear Wendy?” she murmured. 

“What?! No! Of course not!” 

Jade arched an eyebrow. 

Wendy stood up and glared at her. “What do you want? Why do you have to hurt me like this?” 

It was then she noticed how close they were standing to each other. Jade didn’t say a word, only tilted her head curiously. 

“Are you jealous?” 

Wendy looked into her eyes. She was used to the darkness by now. Didn’t mean she liked it. 

“If I was, would it make any difference?” 

“Perhaps.” 

Jade took a step forward, one hand coming to catch hers. She pressed a kiss to her wrist with just the tiniest hint of teeth. “Although, if you want something, you’re going to have to take it.” 

Jade turned around but Wendy caught her wrist. 

So similar to her first feed but their positions reversed. Wendy spun her back and kissed her. 

She grabbed her by the waist and kissed her, hard enough to bruise. Was it anger that fueled her passion? Or desperation? She could feel Jade’s grin against her lips. 

“Now _that_ is more like it,” Jade breathed as she ran a hand down her body. Each touch was electrifying, sending heat sharply to Wendy’s core. She wanted her. But in this way? She wasn’t sure. 

“But Kai-” 

“There’s no such thing as commitment in the prison world,” Jade breathed. “So?” 

Wendy cupped her cheeks and kissed her again. She wanted to drown in her. Let Jade overwhelm her. Drag her off the deep end and leave her to rot. 

Jade was only too willing. 

Hands against her, then skin. Jade was cold but right then, she was so warm. 

It was everything she ever wanted. But then again, not. 

* * *

So that happened. 

Wendy lay on her back and stared up at her ceiling, like she usually did when she woke up. Except this time it was quite different. 

To her surprise, Jade had stayed with her after, worn out after both her and Kai. She slept peacefully next to her, not touching her. 

Wendy didn't know what to think. 

What had happened between them hadn't been romantic, instead purely carnal. A need for release after such a stressful time. 

Wendy didn't want to look for fear of waking her. Because after that, then she'd need to know why. There was every chance that this didn't mean anything to Jade—but she could hope. 

“I know you’re awake,” Jade said, rolling over. “What?” 

Wendy turned to look at her. Jade was propped up on one elbow, watching her curiously. 

“What did we do?” 

“I think you know what we did,” Jade said coolly. “But you mean what did it mean?” She sighed. “Wendy, please. I literally murdered the woman I liked. You don’t want this.” 

“Maybe I do, though.” 

Jade rolled her eyes. “Well, it meant nothing. Maybe we were friends before but things have changed now. I don’t care about you, or Diego, or Kai. I don’t care about anyone.” 

It was the ice in her heart talking but it hurt the same. 

Wendy blinked. And said nothing. 

“I’d love to do this again but I worry about you getting attached,” Jade sighed. “It is such a pity-” a smile, “-you have such a talented tongue.” 

Wendy sat up but didn’t stop her as she left. Maybe she should have. But what good would it do? She couldn’t bring back her humanity. She couldn’t make her care about her. It would just hurt her even more. 

Wendy stared at the door, heart cracking. But she couldn’t let it break. She needed to hold onto something. So she clung to the shattered shards and pretended it was whole. 

* * *

The same day over and over again. Repeated. Pain. Shift, bones breaking until he couldn’t remember what it was like to feel normal. 

Diego suffered again. 

After perhaps the 100th day—he wasn’t keeping track—maybe it felt different. He couldn’t tell. Because he cried again. Cried as his body broke against his will. 

“Wendy?” 

Wendy stood in the doorway. She’d visited him but had stopped recently. Or not so recently. He actually couldn’t remember the last time he saw her. 

Something had changed. She seemed colder, eyes darker. Like Jade. 

“Hello,” she said coolly. “Let’s get you out of here.” 

Diego tried to argue but she didn’t listen. Instead, she pulled him to his feet and led him outside. He wanted to resist but he just couldn’t. 

“Wendy-” 

“Trust me.” 

She was right. The wind through his fur made him feel free. Diego stepped out and let out a howl. He was part of nature. And to nature he’d return. 

He was a beast, he was a monster. He’d made peace with that ages ago. 

So he closed his eyes and embraced it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is their relationship fucked up? Yes, very much so 👀👀


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it has been a little bit. Yes, I am aware. But hey, life's crazy and here's another chapter. Please enjoy :) We've hit canon now

###  **_10 Years Later…_ **

There was a shift in the air. 

Wendy, who’d since moved out of the school but couldn’t bring herself to leave town, felt it. Ten years, the world had been the same. Ten years; her, Diego, Kai and Jade—eventually joined by Sebastian. Nothing changed. Except they did. 

Diego mastered the shift in a way she’d never seen before. He had years to learn, forced to cope under the pain until he didn’t feel it at all. 

Strangely enough, Jade studied things in the hospital. She’d been training to be an EMT before the prison world. Maybe she still clung to the past. Though Wendy couldn’t imagine her heartless self caring for the injured. Maybe it was just something to do. She had a lot of practice with the fights they got into. 

Who even knew what Kai played at? He had set up base at the Mill, out in the woods around the school. “Fort Parker” he’d dubbed it. 

Wendy stepped outside and frowned. Despite this world being large, it was still magic. Not hers but she’d been in it enough to notice a change. What had changed, she couldn’t say. But something. The world around shifted ever so slightly and she breathed it in like fresh air. 

Out of the others, Jade would be the closest. She hung out at the hospital whenever she wasn’t killing or screwing someone. 

“Jade,” she called as she opened the door. “I know you’re here.” 

Jade, who had her feet kicked up on a table, a book open on her lap, frowned at her. That frown gave way to a grin. “Rare you come bother me, what? Feeling lonely and want my company?” 

Ten years had hardened her heart before she could sleep with Jade without feelings getting in the way. The others knew but said nothing. Wendy was surprised. Not even a quirky snip from Kai, who poked his nose in everything. 

“Not now, it’s serious.” 

“Pray tell.” 

“I… I think someone’s here.”

“And why would you think that?” 

“The world’s shifted, only slightly. But enough.” Wendy smiled. “Not a prisoner this time. Someone else.” 

The predator in Jade reared its head. A new light entered her eye, a brighter one than Wendy had seen in years. 

“Go fetch Diego, I’ll get Kai. It’s been awhile since we’ve had visitors.” 

The question was who would dare come to their world. Only recently they’d had the arrival of Sebastian, a handsome young vampire who said that it was also Alaric who sent him. They were in the same situation. Someone he couldn’t control. 

But it was different this time. 

Wendy couldn’t describe how but she knew it wasn’t another student he couldn’t control. 

“Okay.” 

Jade winked and then she was gone. Wendy only caught a hint of her perfume before the room was once again silent. 

She knew Diego liked to roam the woods. He spent more time in his wolf form than his human form nowadays. He said it felt more natural. Perhaps after being forced to change for years on end meant he was more wolf now. 

“Diego?” she called. 

He often roamed far from the school but she hoped he was near. They didn’t see each other nearly as much as they had the first few years. There just wasn’t much reason because their lives were the same again and again. 

She walked into the forest and considered setting a fire. He’d see the smoke and know to come back. She didn’t like burning nature though. But they needed him right now. But it turned out she didn’t need to. 

A blur shot towards her and Wendy ducked. She rolled away, flames catching to her hands. 

“Oh, relax,” Diego chuckled as he returned to human form. “I wouldn’t hurt you.” 

That was a lie. He’d killed her enough times. But were they really hurting each other when they did that? Was it not just the way of the world? 

“What’s going on?” he asked. “What you doing here?” 

“We have another visitor.” 

“So soon?” 

They’d toyed with Sebastian a bit before getting bored and leaving him to his own devices. He’d been no fun. But to have another fall so suddenly into their lap, it was a blessing. A little excitement was brought to their prison. 

Diego smirked. “Let’s go see then.” 

This time, the walk wasn’t too long so they walked together. Diego and her were still friends, though that word had blurred with time. Friends weren’t easy when trapped in a prison world. But even so, they cared for each other. Much more than Kai did. Or even- 

“Jade?” 

They entered the school to see her motionless form. Jade lay on the floor, dead. 

“Appears we missed them,” Wendy commented. 

She knelt down next to her. The wound looked familiar to the sword Kai often killed with. He liked to kill in unconventional ways, just for fun. Even after all these years, Wendy still loved her fire. 

“Go ahead,” she said. “I’ll wait for her.” 

It couldn’t be too long before she woke up. They’d been here long enough to know death rebirth wasn’t too long. 

Diego, whose eyes were already glowing with anticipation didn’t argue. 

In the past ten years, he’d also changed. He’d long embraced his wolf self more than the human part of him. And with that, his soul grew darker and more broken. Wendy hardly recognised him. 

But that didn’t matter. Sometimes she hardly recognised herself. 

Diego left after a scent, nostrils flaring as he shifted into a wolf. A wolf on the hunt, wanting blood. She felt sympathy for whoever was here. They didn’t stand a chance. 

Wendy sat down next to Jade’s body and waited. It appeared that there was no one else here so it was safe enough. She looked at Jade’s face in death and thought of how she looked like how she had all those years ago. Sweet, innocent, caring. Not anymore. 

What a shame. 

After a while, Jade sat up, blinking her eyes as if she’d merely fallen asleep. She focused on her and smiled. “Hey.” 

“What happened?” 

Jade smirked. “Kai knows them. He has a plan.” She licked her lips. “Strange to see little Josie Saltzman again.” 

“Josie?” 

As in the Josie who’d freed them from their cage on the cursed night. Wendy often wondered what might have happened if she hadn’t freed them. What happened might not have. But she couldn’t blame a kid, not for their crimes. 

“The very same,” Jade smirked. “Now, they’ve split up. Sebastian has Lizzie, so they’ll both be gone for a bit. Kai has Josie. As for Alaric…” 

“Alaric’s here?” 

“Yes.” 

For the first time in years, Wendy felt a rush. Was it anger? Delight? Fear? She didn't know, they all blurred into one. A desire to hurt. 

"Diego went after someone. It could be him." 

Jade arched an eyebrow. "And you waited around for me? Aw, aren't you cute? Might think you love me or something." 

Wendy rolled her eyes—though something long forgotten in her chest hurt. 

"Do we have a plan?" 

They had to be careful here. One wrong move could end the game. Alaric wasn’t to be underestimated. He’d spent years hunting vampires and dealing with supernaturals. She assumed that his daughters were similarly talented by now. 

Jade frowned. "I think Kai does… which reminds me, I need to play scary vampire so-" she winked, "-catch you later?" 

Wendy didn't bother replying because the next second Jade was gone. She did that a lot, rarely caring about what she was leaving behind. So Wendy rose. 

Now, where had Diego gone? Wendy exited the school and made her way down to Mystic Falls. She wasn't too sure how she was going to find them and she didn't have anything for a locator spell. But she reckoned it wouldn't be too hard. 

She headed down into Mystic Falls and wandered the street, wondering how she’d know where they were. Diego wasn’t a quiet killer. Surely she’d see some sigh- 

The door was open. 

Ah, of course, the bar. The one where they'd found Kai. It should have been obvious that they would check here first. She wondered if they knew Kai, if they'd been worried he'd got free. She grimaced. Too late. 

Wendy walked inside and glanced around the faintly lit bar. And sure enough, there he was. Well... Diego was lying on the ground, heart missing from his chest. But! She focused on who else was there. 

Alaric Saltzman in the flesh sat in the very chair that had bound Kai. Like a present, all wrapped up for them. She hid a smile. How kind. 

She was just in time to see Diego get to his feet. Apparently enough time had passed for him to come back to life. 

"Now, where were we?" Diego growled. 

"Wait! Don't kill him yet, D," Wendy said as she stepped out into the light. 

Alaric looked at her now, nothing shifting on his face but recognition glinted in his eyes. So he remembered them. How heavily did this weigh on his conscience? Not enough to ever check on them for the past ten years. But he remembered. Meaning it had been a choice to abandon them. 

Diego rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, you wanna burn him." 

"Sure, but first I want to have a chat." Wendy stepped past Diego to Alaric, keeping her eyes cold, just like ten years ago. "Remember how he put us on trial and then abandoned us to this God awful place? I think it's time for your trial, Alaric Saltzman." 

Wendy brandished a hand of fire, letting it simmer across her fingertips. 

Alaric eyed her hand but didn't flinch. "If you're planning on torturing me you're gonna be disappointed. I can handle the torture." 

Suddenly the door flung open and who waltzed in but Jade. Windswept and grinning, she had her arm around a young woman. 

"How about seeing your daughter be tortured?" 

That got his attention. New alarm grew in his eyes, though he did manage to keep his calm. 

"Josie. Josie, are you okay?" 

So this was Josie. Wendy hardly recognised her though now she could see the resemblance to the sweet young witch she knew. Her eyes flitted between them all, lingering longest on her dad. Wendy wondered if she knew who they were. 

Jade grinned, nudging Josie playful. "For now, but what happens next is up to you. So talk. 'Cause I've waited _ten years_ for an explanation for what you did to us. 

Alaric looked at Josie. 

Josie looked all grown up. Ten years… she had to be fifteen or sixteen right? They'd known her when she was merely a child. But here she was, almost reaching adulthood. 

Wendy felt old. 

"What other choice did you leave me?" Alaric said in a low voice. "I knew what I had to do. Five people were dead, brutally murdered. Fed on, ripped apart, dismembered. _Burned to cover it up_. And not one of you showed any remorse or even admitted what you had done. I couldn't let you stay at the school. I wasn't going to unleash you into the world. 

Diego glowered. "So you sent us here. _Forever_. Is that how you help your students?" 

Alaric went silent, gaze sweeping across all of them. "No. I made a mistake." He paused. "I should have killed you." 

Ten years. But it still hurt like it was a fresh wound. 

Jade chuckled. "Ooh, doubling down in the face of imminent death. Ballsy." 

Alaric's eyebrows narrowed. "I knew you were killers. And that you wouldn't change. It was Caroline that talked me into showing you mercy." 

Did he really believe that? Well, it didn't matter now. He'd made them into killers one way or another. 

Diego growled. "Enough talk, let's kill him." 

"No," Jade said calmly. "I want him to suffer first." She waved a hand. "You two go check on Kai. He has all the pieces to get us out now. Make sure he doesn't leave us behind. 

Wendy looked at her. Jade looked back, eyes cool. 

A new determination had grown in her, steady and cold as ice. Wendy nodded. 

Diego snarled but he didn't argue. They both knew that Jade was ruthless and would hurt him hard enough for all of them. Besides, if she ever wanted to go home, she needed to do this. 

"Fort Parker?" Diego suggested. 

Fort Parker. Would make the most sense, right? That he'd gone to his base to prepare. It was as good a place to start anyway. If he wasn't there she could use a locator spell to find him. 

As they walked, Wendy listened to Diego's heavy breathing. He was angry, rightfully so. Seeing Alaric after so long lit a flame in her blood that she wanted to sort. And to do so, she'd have to kill him. 

They entered the building but there was no noise or sign anyone was here. Diego growled and ran for the stairs while she darted inside. 

Empty. They should have known. Wendy walked over, wondering whether to take clothes or trinkets when she spotted something. 

A note sitting on the chair. Addressed to Jade. 

Wendy picked it up and read it. She bit back the anger. 

"Where the hell is he?" 

Wendy stormed out and showed him the note. 

"Kai Parker screwed us!" 

"That son of a bitch!" Diego jumped over the side to the stairs to look at the note. 

Wendy passed it over, trying to ignore the rising anger inside her. She'd kept it in check so far. She wasn't going to snap over Kai Parker. 

"Let's find Jade." 

She'd know what to do. Especially about Kai. After all, she knew him best. 

"I'll kill him," Diego snarled. 

But he followed her. 

Back to the school they went. She wondered if Jade had killed Alaric yet. Or if she was still toying with him like the predator she was. They entered the main hall to see Jade looking around. She turned to them. 

"Well?" Jade asked. 

Wendy rolled her eyes and kept walking. 

"So much for trusting him. Your boyfriend left us here." Diego showed her the note. 

Jade's smug expression shifted and she snatched it from him. "Yeah, well, it's a good thing I prefer girls anyway." 

Wendy looked up to see Jade looking at her. But then she looked away. 

" _Besides_ , I don't care about that guy. All I care about now is finding Saltzman." She tucked the note into her back pocket and offered her watch. 

One that Wendy remembered quite clearly being on Alaric's wrist. 

"A locator spell isn't very sporting of you." 

Jade shrugged. "Yeah, well, let the punishment fit the crime.” 

“Very well then.” 

It didn’t take long to set up the spell. Some candles and a circle. Alaric would never go very far, not when his daughters' lives were at risk. It was only the where that was important. 

Blood trickled down her palm and onto the map as Wendy concentrated. Jade paced around, watching. The blood soaked into the map and gradually flowed up. Right to the Salvatore School. 

She looked up eagerly. "No way, he's here." 

Jade tilted her head as she watched the map burn away. "No, he's beneath us. He's in the tunnels." 

Several tunnels ran under the school but none of them had ever paid them much attention. They were dark and gloomy and they had better things to be doing. Perhaps there had been something under there of use after all. 

But then the blood started moving again until it rested over the place known as the Armory. 

“He's at the armory, what is that?" Diego asked. 

“Who cares? We'll find him. And he won't put up much of a fight." 

Jade was confident but Wendy was less sure. Even alone and unarmed, Alaric was still dangerous. She’d heard tales from old friends about what he’d done, who he’d killed. Wasn’t he best friends with Damon Salvatore? She would have to be careful. 

Wendy followed Diego down the stairs cautiously. While the spell was powerful, it didn't give precise locations. It made her wary. Diego shifted to his wolf-man form and walked down, unafraid. 

His new form was truly a beast, powerful enough to hurl a person across the room without blinking. She’d never seen something quite like it. 

Diego sniffed the air. "He's here." 

Wendy lingered back, noticing several darkened doorways for him to hide in. Surely he knew they were here by now. And he had to have been lying in wait. 

Diego noticed what looked like a jacket lying on the ground. Alaric’s jacket. He went to pick it up. 

That was too easy, too obviously placed in an attempt to be sneaky. Wendy took a step forward. "Wait-" 

Too late. Diego shrieked. A bear trap slammed closed around his hand and he roared in pain. 

And then from around the corner appeared Alaric, wielding a sword. 

"Stay down," Alaric warned. "Stay down!" 

But Diego wasn’t one that he could command anymore. So he stabbed him. Clean through and then back out again, letting his dying form crumple to the cold ground. 

Perhaps as he wanted to have done all those years ago. Wendy wondered if she should thank Caroline or curse her. Ten years, locked with only a shifting werewolf, a psychopath and the vampire that stole her heart, had hurt her. Maybe it had broken her. Not a nice fate. 

Done with Diego, he turned to her. 

"Wendy, I don't want to hurt you." 

She didn't quite believe him. He’d kill her without hesitation. After all, he'd thrown her into hell without hesitating. What was a little blood between _friends?_

Sucking in breath, Wendy summoned a wall of fire between them, letting the flames reach the ceiling before she turned and ran. He would be after her in mere seconds. She couldn't kill him but she needed to warn Jade. 

"Jade, he's in the house!" 

Something clutched her legs, and then she tripped. Unable to stop herself, she pitched to the ground. And then darkness consumed her again.

* * *

Wendy didn't jerk awake this time. It was slow and gradual, a result of not dying. Instead… she'd been knocked unconscious. 

"Hey." 

Wendy blinked in surprise when she saw that Jade sat next to her. 

"Jade, Alaric-!" 

"I know. It's okay. I… things have changed." 

Something had definitely changed. The way she was looking at her, the way her eyes were light and her smile was soft. 

"What happened to you?" Wendy asked. "You… seem different." 

Jade hesitated. "I… Josie turned back on my humanity." 

"She did?" Wendy made to sit up but Jade stopped her. "Wait, Jade-" 

"Don't move too much," Jade said softly. "You hit your head hard." 

How long had it been since Wendy had seen her like this? With kindness in her eyes, that embarrassed smile, the _softness_. Her chest hurt. 

"I'm fine," Wendy said. "But Jade, what's going on?" 

Jade grimaced. "I'm not sure. Lizzie almost died, Josie's gone… dark? Kai jumped into some pit which erased him from memory but Josie fixed that? Honestly? I'm in over my head." 

In mere hours, everything that turned to chaos. She'd been excited for the change but maybe it was too much to handle. But even so, she could only focus on one thing right now. 

"Your humanity… does it feel different?" 

Jade chuckled. "I do. It hurts. But it feels better. And now I can care." 

There was something gentle about her, the way her fingertips brushed hers. As if testing what was left of the tattered relationship between them. Jade had trained to be an EMT to help mend people. Maybe she could mend her. 

But Wendy had spent years hardened her heart, not allowing herself to dream. It wouldn't open so easily. 

"Jade, I can't… I…" 

The fingertips pulled away. "I get it. We should wait until we're out of here anyway." Jade's smile was beautiful. 

"We can get out?" 

Jade shrugged. "The Saltzmans will find a way." 

So she guessed that meant not killing them. Wendy knew that despite her anger towards Alaric, if they wanted to get out he needed to be alive. She grimaced. The world was cruel. Her revenge had been so close only to be snatched from her. 

"I'm going to find Diego." 

"You didn't find him?" 

"I waited on you first." 

Wendy felt a sly smirk spreading across her face. "And you waited around for me? Aw, aren't you cute? Might think you love me or something." 

Jade flushed red—embarrassment such a _fresh_ emotion to see. 

The pain in her chest was back again. 

"Don't move too much." 

Wendy lay back down as she left, trying to register what just happened. The past few hours had been a blur. Rapid movement, such a stark contrast against the constant repetitiveness of the past ten years. She could barely keep up. 

"Jade…" 

If her humanity was back, what did that mean for her? For them? Was there even a them? Sure, they'd been fuckbuddies but that meant nothing. It was purely for the feeling of another, of skin on skin. 

Wendy closed her eyes. She wanted this to end. She just wanted to go home. 

"Hey." Jade once again pulled her from unconsciousness. 

Diego walked behind her in human form. 

"What's the plan?" 

Jade sat down beside her and sighed. "Well, we need to talk to the Saltzmans. If I have to stay here forever… I'll lose my mind." 

Wendy might have already lost hers. 

"So what does that mean? Not killing Alaric?" Diego grumbled. 

Jade shot him a look. "Obviously. If we kill him, Josie will never let us out with her." 

"How unfortunate," Wendy sighed. 

Jade offered her a hand. Her skin was still cold to touch but her hold was gentle. Tender. 

Wendy stood up and looked at Jade. It was so strange how the switch could change everything. 

Wendy nodded. 

Jade led them through the school to the library. Inside she could hear voices. And saw two people talking. 

Wendy was surprised by Josie's appearance. Her hair had darkened to black and shadowed veins ran their way across her face. She looked corrupted. Like black magic. 

"-doors," Josie said. 

Jade led the three of them, confidently striding down. "So does this mean you can get us back to the real world?" 

Wendy and Diego followed her lead, letting her do the talking. Honestly Wendy worried if she opened her mouth she might screw everything up. She still hated him after all. 

Both Josie and Alaric turned to look at them. 

"It's alright, I talked to them." 

"We just want to go home," Wendy said. 

"Well, we can't all go," Josie said coolly. "The magic I siphon here can't travel to the real world. The energy needs to go somewhere which means someone needs to stay behind.to be the anchor. It should be Diego." 

Diego's forehead wrinkled. 

Josie's eyes were cold with amusement. "No offense." 

"No," Alaric. "We're not leaving anyone here. We're all getting back." 

Something burned in Wendy's veins. He could act like he cared all he wanted but they knew the truth. They'd felt it, all ten years of it. 

"Shh," Josie said suddenly. "Someone's coming." 

Again the shift in the air but different this time. A new magic entered the prison world. It was faint, hardly there at all. 

Josie turned, tilting her head curiously. "Hello." A pause. "Only I can see you." Then a smile. "I broke the Sandclock." 

Alaric blinked, a worried expression crossing his face. "Honey, who are you talking to?" 

"Hope, she's astral projecting." 

Hope Mikaelson? Wendy was surprised. She hadn't heard that name in a long time. Of course she'd be at the school, she was only a couple years older than the twins. She wondered what she was like now, if she'd grown even stronger. 

"Listen you have to warn her about Kai," Alaric said. 

Josie turned back. "Kai went into the Malivore pit and we think he's trying to get to the real world." 

Then she looked back. "Kai's at the school." 

What he wanted with the school was beyond Wendy but then again, she hardly knew him. Ten years and even then she avoided him. He gave her the creeps. Not to mention he was also sleeping with Jade that made her dislike him. 

"Oh, Hope? Listen to me, Kai's incredibly dangerous. You have to get him away from the school now. " 

Josie grinned. "Good luck, Hope." 

The magic faded away but it didn't go willingly. Instead, it had been pushed. Wendy frowned and looked at Josie. She had a delighted smile that sent a cold shiver through her. 

"We need to do whatever it takes to get out of here," Josie said to her father. 

Wendy glanced at the others, specifically Diego. Rather him that her, but even then she didn't want to leave him behind. He had changed, yes, but he was still one of her best friends. Once he'd fought through the pain, he'd been there for her when no one else was. 

"Fine," Alaric sighed. "We do the spell. And I'll stay behind. You were all my students once. It has to be me."

Ten years to make up for. Maybe it was a start. 

Wendy kept quiet, hoping that Josie would take it. There was something about her that made the air hum with magical energy. Dark magic. 

If it came to it, she could kill them and leave without them. 

Josie nodded. 

And Wendy could breathe again. 

Josie had a few things to prepare beforehand so they were left to their own devices. And Wendy was restless. 

The sheer motion that maybe she could go home, _finally_ , broke her mind. She didn't know if she wanted to cry or scream with joy. Maybe a mix of both. To finally be free of this constant hell hole and go back to the real world. Where she could live a normal life and not die every other day. 

And with a humanity-filled Jade. 

How could only a few hours alter everything? 

They hadn't said much to each other since she'd woken up. Wendy didn't know what to say. That she still loved her but was scared to believe she could ever have it? She didn't know if Jade even liked her like that. 

"Let's go," Josie announced. 

And Wendy followed. 

They went outside the school to a field with an open sky. It was night time but everything seemed so bright. They set up the staffs equidistance from Josie and waited. She'd already told them what to do. 

Wendy watched as Josie knelt down. 

She was a powerful witch. She'd been powerful as a child but now older, she reached new heights. Wendy suspected that she had even more potential. 

When the portal opened, she hesitated. Because deep down she was scared that it wasn't real. That she wasn't actually able to go home and be free. But it was. It had to be. Wendy looked across to see Jade nodding at her. Telling her to go. So she did. 

Her head spun, shifting her vision into a blur of colours. Magic tugged her in one direction and back again. But then- 

Everything was still and she was kneeling on a wooden floor. Even after all this time, it was still the same school. 

"Holy crap, it worked," she gasped. 

Two young witches stood nearby, gaping at her. She didn't recognise either of them and they didn't recognise her. Wendy blinked, not entirely sure what to say. But then she didn't need to. 

Lizzie blinked into existence, and stumbled. 

"Lizzie!" one of the witches gasped. 

And then Jade, looking entirely disorientated. 

Jade ran across to her but didn't hug. She knelt down next to her and smiled. They were back. They were together. And Wendy couldn't think of anything else. 

It worked. She was home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note that there will be Chapter Four in a few bits and then a break. I was going to end this fic at Ch4 but really, I was having a little fun so there will be more! Mainly following canon events but then perhaps extending beyond... we'll have to see!


	4. Chapter 4

Wendy wasn't surprised when they were 'asked' to stay in the Old Mill. In an act of kindness but also a place to keep them. Not that she was going to go anywhere. Where could she go? Any friends of hers were long gone go God knew where and her family was long out of the picture. All she had left was Jade. 

As she huddled near the fire, she thought of Diego. 

_"Wait, where's Diego?" she had asked once everyone was back._

_Alaric was back in his place._

_"He…" Alaric shook his head._

_In that second Wendy thought she might snap, that she might kill Alaric in front of his daughters. But then there was a hand on her wrist, pulling her back._

"He's in a better place now," Jade said. 

Wendy looked up, dragged out of her thoughts by a sudden touch. Jade, sitting next to her, reassured her that everything was okay. "How did you…?" 

"I guessed." 

She always had been good at reading her emotions. Jade released her hand to fetch more firewood. 

By the doorway, Josie was placing a barrier spell to keep them in. It was almost identical to the one ten years ago except this time they wouldn't step out of it. Wendy had learned her lesson. 

Jade looked up, suddenly heading over to her. "Hey, so um, Lizzie should stay off her feet for a day or two. And, uh, she shouldn't lift anything heavy." 

Josie nodded, eyes flirting to her nervously. She said nothing. 

"I'm, uh, I'm glad to have the real you back." 

Josie nodded awkwardly. "Same." 

Wendy watched the whole interaction curiously. Josie was a curious being that she didn't quite understand. Something about her was different. She'd figure it out eventually. But for now, the night was young and they needed to rest. 

Josie walked away. Jade returned to her side and plopped down with a groan. 

"What was that about?" Wendy asked. 

Jade shrugged. "She was a nice kid. I didn't like seeing her dark." 

Wendy frowned. She'd ten years to study magic and dabble in danger. But dark magic like that didn't just go away. In the same way as the prison world energy had to go somewhere, so did the dark magic in her. But Wendy didn't say anything. And just nodded. 

Jade looked at her and bit her lip as if she didn't know what to say. Wendy almost forgot how to breathe. She couldn't believe that she had Jade back and with her. How long had it been since Jade had looked at her like this? 

She couldn’t deny that since they’d returned to the real world there had been tension between them. But it was bad tension—more like a magnetising connection. They just couldn’t stay away. Wendy didn’t know why or what was between them but she wanted to. 

The other girl locked with them cleared her throat. 

Right. Wendy had almost forgotten that they weren't alone. Emma had brought another girl with them, a young and pretty dark haired girl who from what she knew, was in a lot of trouble too. They could relate. 

Wendy broke their stare and turned around to her. She looked curious, and a little nervous. Maybe she’d heard of what they’d done. 

"So… who are you? What are you in for?" Wendy asked. 

The girl's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm Alyssa. I was the one who sent the Saltzmans to the prison world." 

"Oh, so we have you to thank for our freedom?" 

Alyssa obviously hadn't been expecting that, a surprised smile touching her lips before fading again. "Oh. I… I suppose." 

"Well, thank you very much then," Wendy said. "I'm glad to be out of there." 

Alyssa didn't seem dangerous, just angry at the world and what she couldn't control. She could relate. Wendy suspected she needed help—they all did. Emotions had gotten the best of her. 

She knew how that went all too well. 

Alyssa glanced from the flames at them. "So… what did you do?" 

Wendy glanced at Jade who grimaced. 

"You can take this one," Wendy said, yawning. "I'm going to lie down." 

Whether or not she'd sleep was another question. Years and years of having no reason to take care of herself meant that sleep never came easy. Besides, how could she just sleep after what happened? Maybe she’d lie awake and think of Diego. They would have to be the ones to remember him. No one else would. 

Wendy drifted in and out of consciousness, letting her body relax after the stress of returning to the real world. She was briefly aware of Alyssa and Jade talking in low voices over the fire. 

Again, another strange situation. Jade was… here. For once. In what way, she was yet to see. Well, no matter what happened now they were in it together. 

The fire crackled faintly, the sound relaxing. Fire was one of the few things that brought her happiness. To keep her warm and keep her safe. It was wild and unbridled, but burned so softly. 

"Hey…" 

Wendy blinked her eyes open to see Jade crouched by her. Time had passed. The fire had burned out until it was merely low light coals. 

"Can we talk?" 

"Now? I'm kinda tired-" 

"You can keep avoiding it if you want." 

Wendy glanced to where Alyssa was now curled, looking peacefully asleep. She wondered if she should make a 'oh, but I don't want to disturb her' plea but it died in her throat when she looked at Jade. She was running but getting nowhere. 

You can run but you can't hide. 

She no longer had forever to deal with her problems. Maybe she was scared. And everything was just too much. But she owed it to herself and to Jade. 

Wendy sighed. “Okay.” 

Relief flickered across Jade's face. 

Together, they moved to the other side of the Old Mill to actually avoid disturbing Alyssa. Here in the lowlight, Jade’s eyes seemed to glow and she looked more beautiful than ever. 

"Well?" 

She hated how harsh it came out. 

Jade winced but didn’t get put off. "Wendy, I… I know I haven't exactly been present for the past years." 

"You left me alone. For ten years." 

Was she bitter? Was it even her fault? Wendy couldn’t help how she felt, no more than Jade had been able to control when she turned off her humanity. 

"I… I was hurting." 

"So was I. I needed you, Jade. Was that selfish? Maybe. But even when you were there, you _weren't_. It wasn't you." 

The pain in her chest was hurting again. 

"Are you mad at me?" 

Mad? Even after she’d killed her, Wendy had never been mad. 

"No. Just disappointed." 

Someone lesser might have gotten angry, called her out on her ridiculous expectations. But Jade wasn’t. She was too kind, too caring, just too good for Wendy. "I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere." She touched her hand. "And now I need you too. So please… don't turn away." 

But she could never turn away from her, could she? Even in the prison world, when Jade called, Wendy came running. She helped her, gave her what she wanted because she could never resist. 

Wendy looked into her eyes. 

They were in this together. No Diego, no Kai, only each other. The world was against them. So they would have to stand strong. 

"Do you love me?" 

The question caught her off guard and Jade’s eyes widened. 

*I… of course, I do. I always have." 

For some reason, Wendy struggled to believe her. 

Jade shuffled forward, distance between them barely there at all. "Why are you asking?" 

Wendy didn't say anything. She didn’t want to admit it. 

As if testing, Jade leaned forward, one hand touching her cheek. Her breath was warm, gently stirring against her lips. Reaching. And when Wendy didn't stop her, she closed the distance. 

In the past ten years, Wendy had kissed Jade numerous times. Each one held passion but they were also cold. Numb. Not real. 

This one was different. She could feel Jade, _all_ of Jade, and she wanted more. But Wendy knew that it wasn’t right. 

And so she broke away and turned her head, refusing the next kiss should it come. She couldn’t. 

"Did I do something wrong?" 

That was Jade, alright. Caring and so warm, wanting to help. Maybe before they might have been able to have something between them, before they got caught in their mess. 

But Wendy had changed. 

"No. I did." 

“Wendy…” 

“Don’t you get it, Jade? We're not the same. Not anymore! Do you know what it's like? You have your humanity back but I never lost mine. Meaning that all the cruelty, and anger, and bloodshed was _me._ I did it. I killed and I hurt." 

Jade stared at her. 

"My only other friend is _dead_. I'm a murderer, and it's only so long before Alaric kicks me out of the school." 

"Wendy-" 

Wendy was on a roll. "I can't hold you back, Jade. They'll let you stay, now that you have this part of you back. And maybe I'm jealous too. But I don't want to drag you down with me." 

Over in her make-shift bed, Alyssa turned. Her voice had risen accidentally, brought on by the rising panic within her. She didn’t want to wake her. If even just to remove any awkwardness that might follow. 

Wendy sighed and lowered her voice. "I loved you. But I don't think I'm capable of that anymore." 

Her heart had been destroyed years ago and she was left with only the tattered shards of the break. She didn’t think she could repair it. 

Jade took her hands. "I may be different now but I experienced it. I'm sorry I was cruel to you. I'm sorry I wasn't there." 

But it wasn't her fault. If Wendy had been able to shut off the pain she would have. She was wrong to blame Jade for walking away. Would she really have preferred her to experience what she had? 

"No-" 

"Please listen." 

And Wendy fell quiet. 

"Whatever happens, I am with you. If Alaric kicks us out of the school, we'll go into the world together. I won't leave you alone again." 

For the first time in years, Wendy's eyes started to burn. She hated feelings. She hated that she could do this to her. But it was nice to hear someone care about her for the first time in years. 

"Hey," Jade murmured. "It's okay." 

Okay? Nothing was okay. She was afraid of being alone. 

"It's you and me now," Jade said softly, kissing the top of her head. "Always." 

Wendy wanted to believe her. Because right now, she needed all the comfort she could get. Every part of her was twisted and broken and she couldn’t bring Jade down to her. But she’d let her lie, let her pretend that they weren’t so different after all. 

She just nodded. 

Jade took her hand and together they silently made their way back to where they were sleeping. And without hesitation, Jade pulled her pack over to hers. 

Whenever they'd slept together in the prison world, Jade tended to leave. 

But that night, she lay down next to her. 

Not touching, just letting her presence be enough. And Wendy closed her eyes. She wasn't alone. She wasn't alone. 

Jade was here. And that was all that mattered.

* * *

Wendy woke up to an arm slung around her waist. 

For a second she forgot where she was but it all came back swiftly. It had been a while since she'd been in the Old Mill. In the prison world it was where Kai had set up his base. And as someone who wasn't his biggest fan, she often avoided it. 

Jade lay behind her, breath gentle against her neck. 

Sleeping peacefully. 

Part of her couldn't believe that this was happening. It didn't seem real. 

Yet it was. And she was letting it happen. 

Wendy exhaled softly and let her hand drift down to Jade's. Her skin was warm to touch, and soft beneath her fingertips. 

There was a strange intimacy between them now. They'd fucked each other, killed each other, broken each other until there weren't tears left to cry—but now they were here. 

Was their relationship messed up? 

In a way. 

But when you got two broken people pushed together because they had no one else, what did you expect? 

Wendy lightly brushed her hand. Each stroke was electric, sending warmth through her. When Jade nestled closer, the pain in her chest sharpened. It hurt. But in such a good way. 

Wendy closed her eyes and relaxed. She was safe. She didn't have to worry about losing her mind to boredom or dying by either Kai, Diego or Jade's hand for the millionth time. Things were different now. She’d have to work hard to keep it that way but now she had a taste of freedom, she wasn’t going to let it go. 

Across from them she heard Alyssa yawn and wake. While they'd done their best to cover the main exits, the Old Mill didn't keep out the dawn. Sunlight streamed in the window, caressing their skin and pushing through their eyelids to draw them to the land of the waking. 

Wendy’s fingers brushed Jade’s daylight ring. She wondered what it was like to be so vulnerable to something you couldn’t control. The rising sun could burn her as much as Wendy’s fire. 

"Hey," Jade breathed in her ear. "Good morning." 

So casual. Like a couple waking up on a normal morning. Were they a couple? Wendy had refused her last night but there was definitely something between them. She’d have to wait and find out. 

Wendy rolled around to see Jade smiling at her. 

"Good morning," she said back. 

Alyssa fake gagged from across the remnants of their fire. 

"Hey!" 

"Oh, come on," Alyssa rolled her eyes. "This is definitely what I need to be seeing this early in the morning. You’re my roommates? Tone down the PDA." 

"Hmph. I think you're just jealous," Wendy purred. 

_"Jealous?!_ " 

"You got a boyfriend?" Jade asked, propping herself up on her elbows. "Or a girlfriend or significant other. I don’t judge." 

Alyssa didn't answer but her cheeks reddened. 

"Ooh, I think there's some gossip here," Wendy grinned. "Do tell." 

"Oh, shut up," Alyssa said back but it had no bite. 

Wendy glanced at Jade and they both started laughing. 

She couldn't describe how good it felt to laugh again. A proper laugh. It reminded her of years ago when she’d whisper to her friends about the latest gossip. Who was seeing who, the fights, and the tension. It made her feel that much younger. 

"I like you," Wendy commented. "You're pretty cool." 

Jade nodded, smiling. 

"Haha, really funny." Alyssa stood up and stretched. "Anyway…" 

Wendy glanced around. She didn't know what time it was but she realized she didn't care. She spent ten years slowly counting the days off. But now, she didn't have too. The world would move on and now so would she. 

"What happens now?" 

Alyssa shrugged. "Alaric will have things to say. As _usual._ " 

"Not his biggest fan?" 

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Similar to you. He wanted to send me to the prison world when I was younger. It was my therapist that convinced him not too." She smiled but it was twisted. “So he wiped my memory of killing my parents.” 

The silence that followed was deafening. 

Wendy glanced at Jade, whose expression was horrified. They both knew how Alaric could treat his students but Alyssa must have been a kid. To even think of sending a child to the prison world, she couldn’t imagine. 

Alyssa shrugged. "Apparently, I was too much to handle." 

"I can imagine," Wendy grinned. “You and us both, sister.” 

And Alyssa smiled. 

They were bonding. Alyssa was sharp tongued and didn't care much about the opinions of others but Wendy liked that about her. She was unapologetically herself. 

Jade sat beside her, absentmindedly tracing patterns on her exposed thigh. Again, not a couple but not just friends. They were more to each other. Wendy glanced at her once or twice as they chatted, and each time her smile was tender. 

"I see you're awake already," a voice said. 

Wendy looked over to Emma standing on the other side of the barrier. 

"Hello, Emma," Alyssa greeted. 

Emma smiled at them. "I was wondering if we could have a little chat." 

The last time they ‘chatted’ she sent them to the prison world. But Wendy said nothing and she took it as a yes. The barrier spell wore off and Emma sat down with them. 

"So. This conversation won't be easy." 

"Hmph." 

"You can start with how we were locked in the prison world for ten years," Wendy said coldly. 

Emma winced. "I am so sorry about that. We… we didn't think we had much of a choice." 

Ah, yes. Because they were brutal murderers. Well, at least now that was true. Wendy and Jade both killed each other more times than she could count. 

"I wonder if you would like to join our group therapy session I'm having today." 

"Group therapy?" 

Emma nodded. "Yes. I've been asked by Dr. Saltzman for our most affected students. It's a simulation created by Professor Rupert Vardumus." 

"Um, no thanks," Alyssa said. 

"The _real_ Professor Vardamus." 

"Yeah, still no thanks," Alyssa said. "I think I can guess who's in this group and yeah, hard pass." 

Emma grimaced. "I think it would be quite beneficial-" 

"I said no!" 

A magical tremor passed through the air. 

Wendy had been right when she thought that Alyssa was harbouring deep anger. They were alike. She thought they could be good friends. 

Emma nodded, though it was reluctant. "Very well then." 

"What about you two?" 

Wendy glanced at Jade. They were messed up and probably needed the therapy. Then again, in a group? Did she really want them to join the other students? That didn't seem like the best idea at the moment. Especially after everything that just happened. 

"It might help Alaric warm to us," Jade offered. "Show that we're cooperating." 

"As if I'd want to cooperate with him." 

"Wen…" 

But she sighed. 

"Sure. I mean, we could all use the help, right?" 

Emma looked relieved. Wendy wondered what thought of them being back. After all, while it had been Alaric who made the decision, it was her that sent them there. If she had refused, who knew where they'd be now? 

"Alyssa, don't think we're done. I'll be speaking to you personally." 

Alyssa smiled. "Can't wait." 

"Jade, Wendy, about one o'clock. Meet us in the gym." 

Both of them nodded. Without much else to say, Emma said her final words and left to return to the school. Wendy watched her go. Despite the past, she believed that Emma did want the best for them. 

One thing she did note was that she didn't put the barrier spell back up. 

"What is it?" Jade asked. 

Alyssa shrugged. "Never heard of it. Must be something new." She rolled her eyes. "They _always_ have something new going on." 

Wendy chuckled. "Can't wait for this therapy session. I really need someone else to tell me I'm fucked up." 

Jade nudged her lightly with her shoulder. 

And Wendy sighed. Maybe it would be good for them. She could only hope.

* * *

"What are they doing here?" 

Lizzie Saltzman had matured into a beautiful young woman with a sharp tongue. Wendy wondered if circumstances were different might they have been friends. She seemed the type. 

But that thought was punctured by the withering look she sent in their direction. In fact, she wasn't alone in it. Almost every other student looked at them like they were a danger. 

Maybe they were right. 

Wendy smiled, quickly realising that this might have been a bad idea. 

"Ah, Wendy, Jade, glad you could make it," Emma said. 

It was too late to turn back, everyone saw them now. Jade walked first. 

Wendy glanced around. Josie was here too, along with a witch who could only be Hope Mikaelson. She didn't recognise any of the others. It also meant that none of them were friendly. 

Wendy sat down next to Jade and kept her gaze front. At least the looks they got were more curious than hostile. But she wouldn't put it past them to change in a second. 

Emma started to explain what they were doing. So Wendy tuned out, having already known. 

When she was bored in the prison world, Wendy often closed her eyes and felt. So as she sat in the room, she felt something very strange indeed. A shiver rolled down her spine. 

"Something's weird," Wendy whispered to Jade. "Feels weird." 

The magical energy was wrong. Whatever it was was trying its best to hide. But she could feel it. 

Jade glanced at her. "Like what?" 

"I'm not sure if we should do this." 

"We're here, we might as well." Jade looked around. "Besides, they're not going to hurt their favourite students. We're safe." 

Wendy sat back. While that was true, her anxiety grew. But at the end of Emma's explanation, she was practically bouncing with nerves. She wasn't going to take place. She couldn't. 

"Okay, everyone arrange your chairs in a circle. We'll begin." 

With minimum groaning, they started moving. It seemed that most of the others were just as reluctant to take part in the activity. But Wendy moved, to reach Emma's side. 

"Emma," Wendy said. "I… I don't think I can do this." 

Emma frowned. "I understand that it might be scary but I promise you that it's perfectly safe." 

Wendy shook her head. "There's something weird going on."

"There is nothing but what I promised. However, I won't force you, if you don't want to." 

Relief flooded through her and she hated it. So she stepped outside and folded her arms. 

Jade took her place in the circle, beside Hope, looking at her. And Wendy shrugged. 

"Is she going to… linger?" Lizzie questioned. 

Wendy smiled at her. And sat down outside the circle. Despite her desire to move, she knew how strange it would seem for her to walk. So for now, she would sit and wait until this stupid idea was over and then leave. 

Wendy watched them. There wasn't much to watch as they fell asleep. 

Her eyes were drawn to Jade's sleeping face. She couldn't remember the last time she saw her sleeping. In the prison world she never hung around after they hooked up and today, she'd woken up to Jade behind her. She'd almost forgotten how pretty she looked. Not that she could. Jade was too pretty to resist. 

Wendy sighed and got to her feet. She started to pace, hoping to burn off some of that nervous energy. What was she playing at? 

Jade deserved better than her and she had to know it. How long would it take for her to walk away again? Wendy didn't know if she could handle it. 

Wendy folded her arms and sighed again. If only she hadn't given her her heart. Maybe this would be easier. 

To her right, Emma jolted awake. Her expression was panicked, eyes scanning the students. 

"What's wrong?" Something had to be, she'd never look at students like that otherwise. 

Emma blinked and stood up, hand touching her throat. "I don't know. I… something happened... why won't they wake up?" 

"What?!" Wendy was at her side in a second. "What do you mean _they won't wake up_?" 

"I died, the simulation should be over," Emma said. "But…"

Everyone was still silently asleep. 

"I knew there was something wrong," Wendy breathed. 

"I… I don't understand what could have happened," Emma frowned. She picked up the box. "This is normal. The simulation should have shut down the moment I exited." 

"It's dark magic." 

"What?" 

"I should have known," Wendy murmured. "I could feel it! But I couldn't tell what it was…" 

Emma placed the box and checked on the students. "They're fine. For now." She touched MG's face curiously. "I worry about waking them… might do more harm than good." 

Wendy really hated the sound of that. But Emma wasn't too panicked, meaning that either she was fighting the panic or they had nothing to worry about. She hoped it was the latter. 

Suddenly something rattled across the hall. 

Wendy jumped, already on edge. 

"What's that?" 

Emma frowned. "I don't know." 

It appeared to be coming from a row of lockers, seeming unused in ages from the layer of dust coating the metal. And then the locker rattled again and a muffled voice cried for help. 

Emma's eyebrows furrowed but she didn't hesitate to open the door. 

And out spilled a middle-aged man dressed in a sharp suit with a cane. 

"Professor Vardemus?" 

Wendy tilted her head. "So you are the lovely creator of this box. Wonderful." Heat was rising within her. 

"Wendy," Emma warned. 

She knew that warning tone and she stepped back. Losing her temper would do her no good. 

"That bastard Clarke tricked me!" Vardemus cried. "Locked me in my own invention for months on end." 

Wendy felt as though there was a part of the story that she was missing. But she waited and watched all the same as Emma explained the situation. And then Vardemus shook his head. 

"We can't wake them up," he insisted. "They're too far in, doing so would only hurt them." 

Wendy's eyes lingered on Jade. 

Jade was still asleep but her beautiful face was worrying her. Every second she spent in there meant another second in danger. And Wendy wasn't about to lose the last person she had left. If Jade died… her chest twisted and she steeled herself. 

"It's Josie." 

"How could you know that?" 

Wendy smiled but it was bitter. "I spent ten years in a place where death and consequences have zero effect. I know dark magic. I can feel it." 

It was subtle, very well hidden but now that she'd scented it, it was only too easy to see. The dark magic that had gotten them out of the prison world hadn't let her go. It wrapped around her like a present. 

"Josie wouldn't… these are her friends." She didn't sound so sure. Emma walked around to Vardemus again. "Are you sure-?" 

Suddenly Jade's eyes flew open. She gasped, hand grasping at her throat as she fell out of her chair. 

"Jade?" Wendy ran to her side immediately. 

Jade blinked at her, confusion evident in her gaze. "Wendy. What…?" 

Jade rose unsteadily to her feet. She looked confused but her smile was warm. 

Wendy fought the urge to kiss her. 

She knew what she meant to her. But what did Wendy mean to Jade? There was so much they needed to figure out before they reached that point. 

"How did you get out?" Vardemus asked. 

Jade glanced between him and Emma and decided against asking questions. "I was… in a bar. Josie poisoned me." 

Wendy glanced at Emma and Vardemus. "Believe me now?" 

Emma grimaced. "Isn't there anything we can do?" she asked Vardemus. 

At this point, Wendy didn't really care. She didn't know any of these students and they didn't know her. Sure, Josie being filled with dark magic probably wasn't great but Jade had escaped her clutches. Wendy would take it. The small victories were what she treasured now. Because any small happiness was better than the pain she felt. 

"What's happening?" Jade asked curiously. 

"Someone's trapped the others in the game," Wendy replied. "Or well, Josie has." 

Jade frowned. "I… people were dying in the game. Josie killed someone to protect Lizzie." 

"Isn't that sweet?" 

"Hey, this could actually be a problem." 

Wendy blinked. "Maybe. But there's just nothing we can do. They said it." 

Jade glanced over. 

"I just…" 

Of course Jade would want to help. Because she was kind and caring and she always had been. 

Wendy sighed. "Look. We don't know how bad it is yet. I'm just glad you're okay." 

Jade's lips pulled back in a smile. "Aw, were you worried about me?" 

Wendy chuckled. "No. Never." 

How far they'd come to just banter like this. But for years she'd never had to worry about dying because it wasn't permanent. But the moment she realised that Jade might actually be in danger, was the moment she knew she had fallen hard. 

Wendy watched as Emma and Vardemus overlooked the sleeping students. And then one by one they gradually woke up. 

Except for one. 

"It's Josie," Hope said once she and Lizzie woke up. "She… she's full of dark magic." 

"Rafael? Go fetch Dr. Saltzman," Emma said. She knelt down in front of Josie and checked her vitals. "Just unconscious. She'll wake up soon." 

Wendy and Jade stood on the outside as everyone fussed over the Saltzman. But none of them besides Lizzie had seen what Josie was like with dark magic. Did they understand the danger they could be in? Dark Josie was a force to be reckoned with. 

"You can return to the Old Mill, no need to stay," Emma said, passing them. 

Wendy arched an eyebrow but didn't argue. She didn't want to stick around and witness what that magic would do. Josie was quite clearly unstable. Wendy might know magic but she wasn't that strong. Not to handle that. 

"Unsupervised?" 

Emma shrugged. "The first step here is trust." 

Wendy wondered if maybe they would let her stay at the school. Did she even want to? She may still be a teenager but the past ten years made her feel older. She wasn't sure if she'd have a place in the school, if she'd fit in. Ten years was a long time to be away. 

"Let's go," Jade murmured. 

Wendy nodded. 

She didn't want to stick around to see what happened. 

The corridors were quiet as they walked out of the gym and back towards the Old Mills. And Wendy took time to examine everything. Very little had changed. Perhaps some of the decor had changed to look newer. But other than that, it was the same building she'd spent years in. 

"Strange how this place was our home, huh?" Jade commented. "Yet here, it isn't." 

*Everything seems the same," Wendy agreed. 

But it wasn't and they both knew that. 

When they returned to the Mill, Alyssa was lying on her back with a crystal ball in her hand. She looked bored but perked up when she saw them coming back. 

"How was therapy?" 

"Terrible." 

"I didn't do it." 

"I got _murdered_." 

Alyssa froze and looked over at them like she couldn't tell if they were joking. When neither of them laughed, she whistled. "Wow, that sucks." 

"Yeah. Just a bit." 

Wendy sat down and looked over at the school. They were so close yet so far. There was a lot to be done before they were fully pardoned and allowed to return—if. 

"What you have there?" Jade asked, nodding at the object in Alyssa's hand. 

"Magic. Empathic trances, lets me read feelings that are buried deep down." Alyssa set it on the table. "Useless without another person but _ever_ so pretty." 

"You won't believe that happened," Jade groaned. "Josie killed me." 

Alyssa arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly are they doing about that?" 

Wendy wondered. If push came to shove, how far would Alaric go for this daughter? Would he even pretend that he wouldn't risk everything and everyone for her? 

"I think they're a little busy with-" 

Somewhere in the distance—Wendy quickly realised it was the school—exploded. 

"What was that?" 

Even Alyssa seemed worried. 

"Do you think that Josie-?" Jade trailed off, unsure of how to continue. 

With the amount of dark magic in her, Wendy was almost certain. She just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. 

She wondered how Alaric would handle this one. A Dark Josie was too much for him to handle but he'd never send his precious daughter to a prison world. Now they'd see the true extent of his ability to help. The ability that he had refused to use when it came to them. 

"Should we go…?" 

"And do what?" 

Alyssa dusted off herself. "Well, I think it's exciting. Let's take a look?" 

It wasn't like they had anything else to do. The three of them made their way quickly to the school. 

It seemed Josie hadn't actually blown up the school but she'd blown the doors off. Fire flicked its way up the walls but didn't burn—a technique that required insane control. Wendy could almost approve. If in fact it hadn't been Josie and she wasn't chuckling to herself with her new dark makeover. 

"That's a new look," Alyssa commented. 

Wendy nodded. 

Strange that it manifested itself like that. It fit though. And Josie smiled as she walked away, leaving fire behind her. 

"You know, I realised that this is not my problem," Alyssa announced. "I'm being detained. So. I will return to my room and let them deal with this." 

It would be so easy to just walk away. No one else seemed to know what to do. And Wendy definitely didn't. Whatever magical energy she'd felt earlier had been applied tenfold. 

Jade's fingers brushed her hand before giving it a squeeze. 

"Maybe she's right," Jade said, worried. "We'll just get in the way." 

Where was Alaric now? Did he see what she'd done? She hadn't hurt anyone yet but it was only a matter of time. Maybe his karma finally came for him. It was a shame Josie had a part in this. She seemed like a nice kid. 

But Wendy closed her mouth and nodded. Because if she was going to stay, she needed to let it go. 

So she squeezed Jade's hand and turned around. And then the three of them walked right back where they came from. 

Overall, Wendy wasn't bothered by what was happening at the school. Maybe it would suck but for now, it didn't affect her. She had other problems. 

Alyssa went to sleep quickly, swearing that she needed the rest before the sun once again ruined their sleep. Wendy was quick to follow suit. 

At least this time there was no barrier spell. She assumed that was because they were more than occupied with a dark magic witch running around the school, not that everything was fine. So far, no more explosions. So that was a positive. 

"Hey." 

Wendy pulled her top down to see Jade standing in front of her, blushing. She could almost laugh at how embarrassed she was seeing her change. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen or touched before. 

But it was in Jade's nature and she could never fault her for that. 

"Hey." 

"Um, so… I…" Jade hesitated. She scuffed her foot awkwardly against the ground. 

"What?" 

Jade took her hand from behind her back to reveal Alyssa's crystal ball. "I thought… I know you're insecure about how I feel. So, um... Why don't you take a look?" 

"You don't have to-" 

"I want to." 

And Wendy closed her mouth. 

"I don't know what we are yet. Or what we could be. But I want you to understand how I feel." 

Wendy took the crystal ball from her. It was lighter than she expected, like it was filled with air, even though she knew it wasn't. She weighed it before looking back at Jade. She was serious. She wanted her to do this. Wendy was strangely touched. 

She had never used something like this but when it sat in her hand, it was like second nature. She could feel her deepest thoughts. They swirled like a whirlpool and she reached forward, fishing the closest out. 

"You're worried," Wendy breathed. "For the future. You still see yourself as a monster." 

Jade's smile was gentle, coaxing her to go on. 

"You still see that day and think how can you be a good person. Maybe if you'd been stronger, you might have been able to control yourself." But Jade couldn't help being a ripper anymore than she could be a vampire. Yet this guilt sat on her like a weight, holding her down until she couldn't breathe. 

Maybe she wasn't as okay as Wendy had thought. 

"You feel guilty about…" Wendy trailed off. 

"Go on." 

"About how things happened between us in the prison world. About how you… you… hurt me…" Wendy suddenly found it very hard to speak. 

But Jade took her free hand. The contact was sharp. But it grounded her, and kept her talking. 

"You think you l… lo- love me but you don't think you deserve me." 

Wendy looked down. It appeared she wasn't the only one who was scared. She'd been so focused on herself and how she was feeling than she didn't see Jade. Jade had suffered too. They both had guilt. Both of them were in equal ways fucked up and broken. 

"Hey." 

"I'm sorry," Wendy said softly. 

"Hey, no, don't be." 

Jade shuffled forward and cupped her face, lifting her eyes to meet hers. "You've nothing to be sorry for."

Did she not? She'd tried to push her away. But Jade needed her now more than ever. And Wendy knew exactly how hard it was when that one person walked away. 

Wendy leaned forward into her touch, moving to her in pure instinct. Her hands pressed to her thighs, she lingered. Breath heavy, parting to taste what she could have. She only had to let herself. 

It was Jade who closed the distance between them. 

Her lips claimed hers with a passion, fingers moving to thread through her hair. 

Wendy often found Jade overwhelming but in the very best way. Their kiss deepened and then she was being pressed back against the ground, Jade biting her lip and kissing away across her throat. In the ten years they'd often found themselves like this but it was different now. They were different. 

They were healing. 

And it didn't matter what happened now. Because they had each other. And that was all that mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said last chapter that this would be only going on hiatus but I've actually decided to end it here. It's a nice stopping point, I think? I might write a continuation in the future but for now, thank you for reading 💜💜

**Author's Note:**

> Did you enjoy it? If you did, consider leaving a comment or something nice 💜💜  
> Find me here at my [Tumblr](https://the-demons-behind-your-smile.tumblr.com)


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